Listen to us ‘crazy folks,’ Tipton officials
Kokomo Tribune | July 5, 2013 | kokomotribune.com
Outnumbering leaseholders more than 2 to 1, citizens opposed to further expansion of industrial wind turbines in Tipton County were, again, in the vast majority June 27 at the public hearing for the Tipton County Comprehensive Plan held at the Tipton County 4-H building.
The strong showing of opposition against wind farms has become the norm at the public hearings and county meetings. Between the BZA hearing in March, the monthly county meetings and the public hearing for the Tipton County Comprehensive Plan, Tipton residents have made it abundantly clear we have no desire to have our homes surrounded with industrial wind turbines.
As leaseholders, the Tipton County Wind Farm Communications Committee’s attempts to persuade citizens to support their efforts to increase passive income at the expense of homeowners is an exercise of futility. Tipton homeowners are not attracted by the offer to forfeit their property rights and risk their property values because a university professor concluded that aversions to wind turbines are simply the result of mass hysteria and psychological issues among those opposed.
In the words of Billy Joel, “You may be right, I may be crazy.” Maybe it is crazy that I do not find appealing the idea of nearly 500-foot tall industrial wind turbines with moving parts the size of a Boeing 747 and flashing red lights surrounding my house. Maybe a completely sane, rational and scientific person would be excited by that opportunity.
However, based on the undeniable opposition to wind farms in the Comprehensive Plan survey results and the overwhelming turnout by opponents to the public hearings, it appears the majority of Tipton County citizens, like me, are crazy. It is time for our county officials to start listening to “us crazy folks” and close the door on wind farms.
Tipton deserves better and has much more potential than taking the bait of a questionable and divisive industry.
Nathan D. Salsbery
Tipton
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/07/05/listen-to-us-crazy-folks-tipton-officials/